Putting in Tournaments is RUBBISH! Why?

[gunmetal]

This past weekend I took second place in my city league championships (first flight). That's good and I'm happy about it. It was a 27 hole event and I was paired with the leader for the final 9 holes. Came into the last hole 4 shots down. Somehow, he's putting from 40 feet for an 7 and I'm about 10' away for a birdy 4. So of course I'm thinking this is crazy and I have a chance. Anyhow, he drains the 40 footer and I miss the birdy and lose by 2. Whatever.

 

My problem is over the 27 holes I missed 4 putts inside of 3 1/2 feet. My bigger problem is that I didn't make anything. Driving and ball striking was great but get me over an 18" putt and I can't stay out of my own way, which likely led me to put defensively the whole day. WHY? My putting is usually a strong part of my game and I'm usually good for at least couple decent length putts to drop a round.

 

Does anyone else struggle with putting in tournaments and more importantly has anyone overcome this? It would make more sense to me if I couldn't drive the ball or hit it to save my life, but that wasn't the case at all. Just poor putting.

[bruinsPATSirish]

This past weekend I took second place in my city league championships (first flight). That's good and I'm happy about it. It was a 27 hole event and I was paired with the leader for the final 9 holes. Came into the last hole 4 shots down. Somehow, he's putting from 40 feet for an 7 and I'm about 10' away for a birdy 4. So of course I'm thinking this is crazy and I have a chance. Anyhow, he drains the 40 footer and I miss the birdy and lose by 2. Whatever.

 

My problem is over the 27 holes I missed 4 putts inside of 3 1/2 feet. My bigger problem is that I didn't make anything. Driving and ball striking was great but get me over an 18" putt and I can't stay out of my own way, which likely led me to put defensively the whole day. WHY? My putting is usually a strong part of my game and I'm usually good for at least couple decent length putts to drop a round.

 

Does anyone else struggle with putting in tournaments and more importantly has anyone overcome this? It would make more sense to me if I couldn't drive the ball or hit it to save my life, but that wasn't the case at all. Just poor putting.

 

Putting in tournament is 90% mental, 10% skill. Only way to get better at it is to actually be putting with something on the line (money, tournament, etc) on a consistent basis.

[Kuuuch]

This past weekend I took second place in my city league championships (first flight). That's good and I'm happy about it. It was a 27 hole event and I was paired with the leader for the final 9 holes. Came into the last hole 4 shots down. Somehow, he's putting from 40 feet for an 7 and I'm about 10' away for a birdy 4. So of course I'm thinking this is crazy and I have a chance. Anyhow, he drains the 40 footer and I miss the birdy and lose by 2. Whatever.

 

My problem is over the 27 holes I missed 4 putts inside of 3 1/2 feet. My bigger problem is that I didn't make anything. Driving and ball striking was great but get me over an 18" putt and I can't stay out of my own way, which likely led me to put defensively the whole day. WHY? My putting is usually a strong part of my game and I'm usually good for at least couple decent length putts to drop a round.

 

Does anyone else struggle with putting in tournaments and more importantly has anyone overcome this? It would make more sense to me if I couldn't drive the ball or hit it to save my life, but that wasn't the case at all. Just poor putting.

 

Putting in tournament is 90% mental, 10% skill. Only way to get better at it is to actually be putting with something on the line (money, tournament, etc) on a consistent basis.

 

Yep play $ a hole and you'll either lose money or start to control your nerves over 5 footers to win the hole

[Bomber_11]

Always have a smooth tempo, and ALWAYS accelerate through the ball.

 

All of your muscles tense up in high pressure situations, and your mind gets clogged with way too much sh*t.

 

Even on 3.5' putts, you have to accelerate through the ball. Otherwise you're taking a little T-Rex armed jab at the ball, and it's never going to workout for you (unless u get lucky once or twice).

 

This is exactly where a pre-shot routine, and mental training come into play. On a practice green you can drop 25 putts in a row that length - so it's all about training yourself to mentally overcome the moment and just go through the motions you've engraved in yourself all of the years you've played.

 

Do everything at half speed on the green - even your breathing. Oddly enough - your concept of half speed during the tournament will likely be the full speed you'd do it on a daily 9 hole round.

 

Just some thought, from someone who used to be in the same boat. I've lost a few tournaments by a stroke or two, and had multiple missed short putts and 3-putts.

[gunmetal]

Always have a smooth tempo, and ALWAYS accelerate through the ball.

 

All of your muscles tense up in high pressure situations, and your mind gets clogged with way too much sh*t.

 

Even on 3.5' putts, you have to accelerate through the ball. Otherwise you're taking a little T-Rex armed jab at the ball, and it's never going to workout for you (unless u get lucky once or twice).

 

This is exactly where a pre-shot routine, and mental training come into play. On a practice green you can drop 25 putts in a row that length - so it's all about training yourself to mentally overcome the moment and just go through the motions you've engraved in yourself all of the years you've played.

 

Do everything at half speed on the green - even your breathing. Oddly enough - your concept of half speed during the tournament will likely be the full speed you'd do it on a daily 9 hole round.

 

Just some thought, from someone who used to be in the same boat. I've lost a few tournaments by a stroke or two, and had multiple missed short putts and 3-putts.

 

That rings true. I did manage to make several 4-5' putts for par but I don't think they were my best strokes - just probably got lucky. I think the breathing is an area where I could improve and slowing down the whole process. It's hard to slow down on something that seems so routine like a 2-3' putt but no doubt that would help. Thanks.

[ECUPirate]

My putting is definitely a downfall during tournaments. Yesterday I was playing in the final round of the member/member tournament and my partner and I had a 3 shot lead going into Sunday. On the second hole, I 4 putted from 20 feet for double bogey. On the very next hole, I sunk a 20' for birdie, after the guys we were playing against sunk a 30' for birdie.

 

As bomber pointed out, I get tense and jerky with my stroke when I get inside of 5'. I've missed a lot of <5' putts this year and a lot of it is due to nerves.

[ccorrada]

Options:

 

Miller Lite

Get a Betti Kuchar Arm Lock

Look at the hole

Look at a spot a few inches in front of the ball and roll it over that

Grip it very firmly with your left hand

[robrey85]

Let me get this in here before Monte does;

 

"you're turning your hips"

[dlam]

Went back to my long putter (non anchoring off course) for CC and putted well. Could not be consistent with the short putter this season I had some good putting rounds with the standard flatstick but still streaky with it.

[wobgon]

This may sound crazy, but try getting ready to stroke your putt, but instead of looking at the ball, the hole, or the putter head, look at your hands.......This keeps you from trying to manipulate the putter head and stroke......Works for me when i'm struggling in tournaments. It may work for you.

[naval2006]

When in competition, if you think before putting, you're ruined. If you always do the same and then you hit with a smooth swing, you've got a chance. But even then, golf is hard and tricky.

 

Don't be so hard upon yourself, especially if you're a good putter.

[Forged4ever]

Always have a smooth tempo

 

All of your muscles tense up in high pressure situations, and your mind gets clogged with way too much sh*t.

 

This is exactly where a PRE-SHOT ROUTINE(PSR), and mental training come into play. On a practice green you can drop 25 putts in a row that length - so it's all about training yourself to mentally overcome the moment and just go through the motions you've engraved in yourself all of the years you've played.

 

Do everything at half speed on the green - EVEN YOUR BREATHING.

This is excellent!!

 

Breathing Bro, BREATHING!!

 

I might even take it a little further than Bruin and say 95% Mental-

 

As has also been said above me, there is no substitute for tourney experience or money games(I'm speaking of serious money games) however for practice, you want to make it as competitive as possible and I would start at 3' and 40 straight. You miss and ya start over.

 

Trust me, if you've run 36 straight, you'll feel 37-40, lol.

 

Then move to 4'. 34/40 or ya start over

 

Then 5'. 30/40, you know the deal.

 

No practice putt equates to the pressures of standing over a putt for a Championship or for $500+ however this drill will make you concentrate, focus and grind over those final putts.

 

Oh yea, PSR!!

 

All the Best,

RP

[misplacedtexan83]

Nick Faldo always says look at your right fingernail for the short putts...takes away you manipulating the head.

[mats910]

For me putting in general is based on confidence. The more free i'm feeling in my putting the better I putt. I don't jab at it but make a solid stroke and trust my line. So for me personally good putting in tournaments was based on playing for tournaments and trusting myself that I can put the ball on the right line at the right speed.

[2bGood]

Tension and nerves will do it. Does no take much. There are lots of way to try to conquer the tension, but as you will see at the PGA level every Sunday they don't always work.

[gunmetal]

Thanks for all of the good advice guys. I will try several of these tips. I really want to get to the point where I can be aggressive when I have Birdie looks. I know and accept that I will miss a short putt or two, but that feeling of putting defensively really blows especially when I know I'm a good putter in laid back situations.

[Santiago Golf]

There are three parts of putting; Technique, Reading Greens (Speed/Break), Mental

 

If you have all three, great putter

 

If you are missing one, you can be average and mostly 2 putt and be streaky

 

If you are missing two, you are going to struggle.

 

Figure out which one.

 

Also since you are a single digit handicap, a putter fitting might be due

[golfing_penguin]

It might well be that you don't make as many putts as you think in casual rounds, but you don't notice your misses because they're casual rounds.

 

For this, I'm going to assume you have time to practice, and have a putter that suits your stroke. From 6ft and in a great record is 90% plus. If your putting green is flat you want to do the clock drill from 6ft and make 45/50.

 

This will do a few things. First, it makes you want to hole putts, instead of 'hope' to hole putts. Second, let's say it takes you a couple of tries. Well you start to notice that you make so many putts that your sub-conscience feels calmer over these on the course. Third, when you start doing it first time, your confidence begins to shoot up (Because if you're that red-hot from 6ft, you bet your a** 3ft seems like a piece of cake)

 

Practicing mechanics like consistent set-up distance from the ball and stroke have their place at the start, maybe end of a putting session, and certainly at home. But your practice needs to zero in on making the holing of putts a habit